Mechanical directory.



E. INGE= MECHANICAL DIRECTORY. APPLICATION' FILED Novls, 19Io.

RAI L 90A a s TA r/p/Ys y I 4 l awww/tof,

'TE STA@ n' ion. Y

EUGENE INGE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD DIRECTORY COMPANY, F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION-OF NEW YORK.

MECHANICAL DIRECTORY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 191.1.

Application led November 8, 1910. Serial No. 591,383.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE INGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county 'and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Directories, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

This invention, subject of my present ap-r" plication, is in the nature of a mechanical directory, for taxicabs, and public con-. veyances of'like` character, hotell lobbies,l railway stations, and places of resort generally, the chief object `of the invention being to providera device which shall contain, in compact and conveniently accessible form, information of the kind usually to be found serviceable in such places, as for example, lists and addresses of theaters and other places oi amusement,` shops of. various kinds, dressmakers, tailor-s, haberdash-- 'consists in the novel features of construction and combinations of elements hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims'.

The invention will be readily understnod from a more or less detailed description of the preferred embodiment. The same is illustrated in the annexed drawing, and referring now thereto. Figure l shows the device in perspective, with one of the information or directory strips drawn` out of the casing. Fig. 2 is a Arear elevation with the back of the casing removed to show the interior parts. Fig. 3 is a vertical sect-ion on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows in perspective one of the spring rollers on which the directory strips are wound. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of one of the spring rollers and its carrier.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of oneof the roller carriers..

The outer casing l, which incloses and protects the operative parts, has a remov able back or Aclosure 2, provided with brackets 4 fitting over studs 5 on the bottoni of the casi1ig,pand a spring latch 6 having a stud 7 engaging the top of the'casing in asuitable aperture. Then it is desired to remove the closure the stud '7 is pressed down, thereby releasing the stud from lits socket or aperture and allowing the closure to be swung rearwardly off the studs 5.

The front wall of the casing is formed with a suitable number of horizontal slots 8, arranged one above` the other in vertical series, as shown. Immediately back of these slots, and in register therewith, so to speak, is a series of windingrollers, and on each roller is wound an information or directory strip, 9, of cloth, stout paper, or other suitable material, the free or outer end of each strip being passed through the adjacent: slot to the outside of the using, where it may be conveniently grasped by the hand. (.)n these strips the information which the device is intended to provide is printed or otherwise displayed, and if desired the nature of the information on the individual strips may be indicated by suitable labels on the front of the casing adjacent to the respective slots, as clearly,

shown in Fig. l.

Each winding' roller comprises a cylinfy der l0, to which the information strip is fastened by wrapping it partially around the cylinder and then slipping over the wrapped portion a clamj'iing or binding member l1, of spring metal. as will be readily understood. The cylinder itself is hollow. and surrounds a shaft 12 on which the cylinder is adapted to rotate. One end of the shaft extends outside the cylinder, as shown, and is squared or flattened to .fit a slot or recess in a supporting lug 13 mounted on the upt'urncd end 13a of a U-shaped .arrier 13" made of spring metal, While the opposite end of the cylinder-'tits rotatably over a supporting lugll onl the other upturned end. 15 ot the carrier.A Eneircling the shaft is av coil spring 16, -oneend of which engages the shaft in an aperture 1T' and the other the adjacent end of the cylinder in -a slotlS.

From the foregoing it will be seen that,

`the spring being properly arranged, the unwinding of the information s trip 1n drawing the strip the spring will rotatefthe llCV umu

cylinder in the reverse direction and rewind the strip on the cylinder. As will be Seen, the roller construction by which this operation is etl'eeted is simple and for that reason is hut little lo he deanged. At the Seine tiine it. is euirmhle oit' ready disineniberlnent, igor inspection, ropuir, ete., hy springing` the ends ot the Currier outwardly to release the lugfJ-f l?) und ll, after which the Cylinder muy he Vslipped oliil itS shalt. rlie edges of the iulorumtion or directory strips 9 pass through non-hes or recesses i9 in the Vuu*- riers 13", suid notrhes being; formed hy overhanging l ugs 2). The outer or iree end of each strip tortned with a loop, through which is thrust o tightly litting rod 2l, und over the Whole is passed a slotted sleeve Q2, provided with a knol) Q3 for convenient grasping hy the hund. The sleeves 22 are small enough to poss easily through the slots i., but not through the spaces hoitnded by the lugs 20, so that when the carriers are zirrunged in the easing, the sleeves will he held on the voutside of the (ffirsinlr`r 21s shown in Fig'. 2S; the proportions of the ports heing sueh thut when the Carriers ure stuekod one uhove the other :1s in the ligure just mentioned the notches l5) wili he in register with the slots tv'. rl`he closure 2 holds the rorritu's tint against. the front woll, but ivhon the closure is removed the Carriers un he token out hy withd owing them rem'- uurdljf, the sleeves pussing freely through their respeetive slots tt.

Lis preriouslv stated, the deviee is o nierhunieul direetory, und is designed espeoiully with :i vieuY to use in t-uxieuhs, hacks, und other public eonveymiees und places o'lr resort. For sueh purposes it provides useful in'iornuition in ronvenient :ind accessible torni. At. the suine time' its simplicity of construction nullies it"l)ut little Subjept to derungeinent, und the, directory or information strips are t'hei'nselves eil'eetually pio' looted trorn injury when not in use.

'The device herein specifically illust 'ated and deserihed is the preferred embodiment of the invention, which may, however, he embodied in other forms Without departure trom its proper spirit and scope.

l claim:

l, ln n nieelmnienl directory ot the kind described, in combination, e, ,zurier coinprising1 u strip of spring1 nietul having unlifulorli' disposed ends, und provided with inw: rdly disposed lugs defining; notches 21djzuL-ent to Suid ends, u winding roller positioned between .said ends, n directory .strip wound on the, roller und having its edges passing through said notehes, e uieinher mounted on the tree end ot' the directory' strip to prevent said free end 'troni passingr through the said notches, und supporting devices for the roller, eurried 'oy the un- `gulflrly disposed ends ot the Currier und disenpup'euhle from the roller by flexing of the Currier.

ln :1 ineeluiuirul (tirer-tory of the kind deserihed, in -fonihiuzttion7 :L eusiup', :t Cin'- rier eonuirisiupv u, strip or sprinfl' metal havinnl zingulurly disposed ends t sluiporled iu smid raising, inwardly dispoised lugs on smid :urrier delining;v nol'rhes adjacent to uuid ends, :i Winding roller positioned between suid ends, :i directory strip Wound on the rolle' und having its edges past-Jing; through smid notehos, n member i'iionnted on the Jtree end ot' the directory strip to prevent. the iifree end o'i sind strip from pussingf through said notches, 'the lugs filetiningA Suid notches ollowing' the direetorjyf' strip to he crimped whereby the suine may 'oe ren'niived 'trom the slot 'for the purpose set forth.

ln testimony whereof l inj'y' Sign-dure in the presence ot' two subscribing Witnesses.

EUGENE lll` Witnesses z El. S. QUNHAM, M. LAWSON lrnn. 

